Michael Moreci & Tim Daniel Interview

Curse is a new four issue mini-series published by BOOM! Studios with a new take on werewolves. The second issue just hit the stands. The comic is written by Michael Moreci and Tim Daniel with art by Riley Rossmo and Colin Lorimer. James had a quick chat with the writing team behind the new title.

James Ferguson: Can you give a quick set up for what Curse is about?

Michael Moreci: Sure! Curse is a series about a man, Laney, who is determined to provide care for his ailing, potentially dying, son. With his insurance capping out and his resources limited, he braves the wilderness of his community to try and capture a bounty on some strange…thing that has been flaying people and animals alike. What he discovers is something completely unexpected.

It’s a survival at all costs story, about a parent who will do anything, anything, to save his child.

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JF: Where did the initial idea for Curse come from?

Tim Daniel: Mike and I were knocking about the idea of werewolf tale that would turn the traditional, “see the beast, hunt the beast, kill the beast” on its ear. We hit upon the idea of a bounty hunter that would pursue the werewolf for the obvious cash reward…but then we got to thinking and struck upon the idea that the bounty hunter would realize the wolf possessed something of far greater value. Not three or four days later we were on a call with Riley and he mentioned a strong desire to do something werewolf based. He’ll readily admit he was in the midst of an obsessive period involving werewolves. After he indicated his desire to tackle werewolves, we revealed with our initial take. Curse took shape and the story readers have been enjoying hews pretty closely to what was then discussed on the call.

JF: Curse has a dream team of sorts behind it. How did this group come together to work on this project?

TD: Mike and I really wanted to work with Riley as we discovered we were both long-time admirers of his work. During that initial call we learned Riley was deep into the process of drawing his new series Drumhellar. Workload-wise, taking on Curse was a daunting challenge and he wanted to give his all to Drumhellar. We discussed the inclusion of an additional artist and Mike suggested Harvest and UXB artist Colin Lorimer. That was a stroke of genius by Mike and a light-bulb moment for us all. It just made immediate sense, certainly in terms of artistic fit and in contrast to Riley’s work. Of course, the reality is we had to present not only the story to Colin but the fairly unique division of labor as well. Thankfully, Colin responded very positively to both and as a result we had our team and a shot at making Curse. Realistically, we would not have had that chance without him and his involvement has made all this possible.

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JF: How do you work together on the script?

MM: Funny enough, we were recently talking about this and we don’t even remember who wrote which scenes. The process, honestly, was that seamless. Basically, Tim and I would chat on the phone, hashing out the story and then the arcs, the beats, etc. We’d divvy up duties and create a brief overview, then an intense, very detailed outline. I’m very meticulous about this stage of the process. I like to go into scripting with a clear vision of the story, the scene lengths, even some dialogue.

So, by the time we got to the scripting part, all the heavy lifting had been done. We were transferring information, more or less. Granted, we discovered some things in while scripting, tweaked and massaged, but for the most part, it was conveying the outline.

JF: How is it working with two artists on the book?

MM: It's great. They complement each other so well and they enhance the experience of reading the book. You always want to find new ways to enhance the effectiveness of your book, and this has been a great way to do so. Both Colin and Riley bring something totally unique to Curse and excellent in its own right.

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JF: How did Curse end up at BOOM! Studios?

MM: I had been in contact with the immeasurably awesome Bryce Carlson about a different project that wasn’t quite a fit for Boom. He liked my work and ideas enough to keep the door open to more pitches. When Curse came together, creatively, the team thought Boom would be a great home for it. Luckily, they agreed, and we’ve been happy to be working there since.